Easy opening container



Dec. 12, 1950 J. HENCHERT EASY OPENING CONTAINER a m T I m E m m E w Y 5 Q J h M 6 m m. m 2 m Patented Dec. 12, 1950 EASY OPENING CONTAINER John Henchert, Chicago, 111., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 6, 1945, Serial No. 609,095

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a container which may be tightly sealed and wherein a part may be ruptured for gaining access to the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a container having a can top provided with a neck portion to which is seamed a scored centrally thereof to facilitate access to the container with a reclosure which can be easily applied to the neck portion of the can top for engagement with the ruptured score line for sealing the opening formed by the removal of the scored portion.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a container embodying the improvements, said container having been opened by the removal of the scored portion and reclosed by the attachment of a reclosure thereto;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the sealed container before the scored portion is removed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail partly in section and partly in side elevation of the reclosure for the container;

Figure 4 is a plan View of the reclosure showing the retaining tongues in broken lines;

Figure 5 is a View in vertical section of the modified form of reclosure.

The invention is shown as applied to a container having a body portion i to which an end 2 is secured by double seaming. At the upper end of the body portion is a top which is secured to the body portion by double seaming as indicated at 4. The top 3 has an upstanding neck portion 5. The neck portion is flanged in the usual way and, after the container has been filled with the product, the packer secures a sealing cap 5 to the neck portion by a double scam indicated at I. The central portion of this cap t is domed upwardly so that the upper part of the dome lies close to a plane containing the upper portion of the double seam joining the cap to the neck of the container. The central portion of the cap is scored as indicated by the broken line 8 in Figure 2.

When it is desired to gain access to the container, the metal is ruptured at the score line 8 and the scored portion removed. In order that the container may be rescaled when only a portion of the contents have been used, a reclosure cap is provided. The reclosure cap includes a downwardly domed top portion 9 and a depending skirt it. The depending skirt is provided with a series of depending retaining tongues II, which tongues, as shown in Figure 3, are curled inwardly at their lower ends. The reclosure cap is dimensioned so that the tongues can be snapped over the double scam I joining the cap 6 to the neck portion of the container.

Disposed within the closure cap is a sealing pad l2. The skirt is bent inwardly between the top and the tongues H so as to hold the sealing pad in the reclosure cap as a unit. When the reclosure cap is snapped onto the container the pad will contact with the ruptured score line and will completely seal the opening formed by the removal of the scored portion. The cap for sealing the container is applied by the packer after the container is filled. The sealing cap and the reclosure cap are sent to the packer with the container. The packer sends the filled container with the sealing cap attached thereto to the customer and with the closed container is sent a reclosure cap to be used for rescaling the container when the scored portion is removed.

In Figure 5 of the drawings a slightly modified form of reclosure cap is shown. The body portion I, top 3, the sealing cap 6 and the manner of connecting the same to the neck portion are the same as those described in connection with Figures 1 and 2 and like reference numerals have been applied thereto.

The sealing cap has a top portion [3 which is domed downwardly so as to contact with the ruptured score line for sealing the opening formed by the removal of the scored portion. No pad is used in this form of reclosure for the reason that with certain products a tight seal is not necessary. The reclosure cap is provided with a depending skirt l4 and said skirt is provided with depending tongues 15 which are bent inwardly and thence outwardly. These tongues can be snapped beneath the double seam "I joining the sealing cap to the can top and this reclosure cap is secured to the container for closing the same.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A container and reclosure therefor comprising a body, a top seamed thereto and provided with an upstanding neck portion, a sealing cap seamed to said neck portion and having an upwardly domed central portion, said domed portion midway between the seam joining the cap to the neck portion and the center of the dome being scored concentric to said center so that the edge of the metal surrounding the opening when the scored part is removed will lie substantially in a plane tangential to the outer portion of said last named seam to facilitate resealing the container, and a closure cap having a downwardly domed portion adapted to engage the sealing cap at the ruptured score line for sealing the open ing formed by removing the scored portion, said reclosure cap having 3, depending skirt and downwardly projecting retaining tongues adapted to engage beneath the seam joining the cap to the neck of the can top.

JOHN HENCHERT.

The following references are of record in the 4 REFERENCES CITED Number Name Date Taylor July 28, 1908 Hothersall Sept. 22, 1936 Deane June 29, 1943 Eggerss Aug. 10, 1943 Calleson et a1 Jan. 4, 1944 

